To add to the excitement, we also had a snowstorm of record proportions. The week provided a classic example of spring storms in Colorado: a gorgeous, sunny spring day on Monday, 14" of snow by Wednesday morning, blue skies and green grass by Friday. Have I mentioned that I love Colorado weather?
[So, I just
realized that this got pretty long. It’s just that there’s so much to say about
the Conference on World Affairs and so many pictures to share of the weather! If it seems like too much, you can just
go for the pictures and consider those the visual Cliff Notes.]
Folks come to CWA from
the Boulder area and beyond to hang out on campus for a week, just learning.
There are scores of grey-haired folks toting their knapsacks loaded with jackets,
lunch, and water. They ride the bus or park off campus and walk, carrying
everything they’ll need for the day. They sit in clutches in the student center
in the morning, poring over the day’s schedule, planning what sessions they’ll
attend. They eat their lunch during sessions or in the hallways between—and so
do the presenters. Students come, too, sometimes singly out of sheer interest
in a topic and sometimes in groups as a class assignment. And there I was,
in the midst of it all.
I couldn't seem to constrain
my lifelong habit of taking notes during these talks. So, although I could go
on and on about most any of the 20 or so sessions I attended, I won't. Instead,
here’s my log for the week along with some highlights, to tempt you to join me
next year—all wrapped in photos of the week’s wonderful, wacky, changeable Colorado weather.
Monday
Opening day of the
conference. I arrived for the first talk, walking past this new pedestrian underpass
with its strikingly appropriate underground artwork. I love it.
Then I spotted this
sidewalk chalk notice alerting (warning?) the campus community that thousands
of spare folks would be cluttering the sidewalks, the student center, and
assorted venues around campus for the week.
En route to the
opening plenary, I joined the crowd along a walkway lined with flags of the world—the iconic image
of CWA, shown every year on the cover of the program. Sunny, warm. Students were running around in shorts.
Over the course on Monday,
I went to the following sessions. I’ll give very quick crib notes on particular
favorites, but if you want to know more about any of these, I have notes. Call
me. How about lunch, if you're in the neighborhood? Or email and I'll send a copy of my scribblings. This offer holds
for all days.
Immigration: My Land or Our Land? Ours. It has to be ours.
Who Stole the American Dream? The growing income gap (we have a “geyser up” rather than a “trickle down” economy) has shrunk the middle class and virtually destroyed the “dream” that went with it. Who stole that dream? The “Powell memo” of the early 1970s, which set business on a path toward greater domination of the political process.
Why Universities Won't Teach Virtue.
Bipartisanship, Civility, and Dialogue. We need to talk to each other.
“One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” (the movie): I saw this movie decades ago, and it was to be carefully dissected during the week, so I went to see it anew on Monday. Each day for the rest of the week, they show the same movie again, and any audience member can shout “stop” at any point to make a comment or ask a question. The idea is to run through the whole movie in this detailed way by the end of the week. This part, called “Interruptus,” would begin on Tuesday. This is a model created by Roger Ebert, the noted film critic, who died last week. He came to CWA every year for over 40 years, and he provided what has become the conference's tag line, describing CWA as “The conference on everything conceivable.
Immigration: My Land or Our Land? Ours. It has to be ours.
Who Stole the American Dream? The growing income gap (we have a “geyser up” rather than a “trickle down” economy) has shrunk the middle class and virtually destroyed the “dream” that went with it. Who stole that dream? The “Powell memo” of the early 1970s, which set business on a path toward greater domination of the political process.
Why Universities Won't Teach Virtue.
Bipartisanship, Civility, and Dialogue. We need to talk to each other.
“One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” (the movie): I saw this movie decades ago, and it was to be carefully dissected during the week, so I went to see it anew on Monday. Each day for the rest of the week, they show the same movie again, and any audience member can shout “stop” at any point to make a comment or ask a question. The idea is to run through the whole movie in this detailed way by the end of the week. This part, called “Interruptus,” would begin on Tuesday. This is a model created by Roger Ebert, the noted film critic, who died last week. He came to CWA every year for over 40 years, and he provided what has become the conference's tag line, describing CWA as “The conference on everything conceivable.
Tuesday, snowy Tuesday
The snow started Monday
night, and things on campus were sloppy and dreary Tuesday. But loving weather, I actually
enjoyed it. The community folks
showed up despite the slimy weather, still with knapsacks, but now in winter
wear. The flags were beautiful even as the snow kept falling.
My Tuesday sessions:
Belief. Wonderful discussion ranging from “Do I really believe what I appear to believe judging from my practices?” to “If you doubt all the things you believe about who you are, maybe you'll find who you are.
Earth from Space: Altering Our Views. Maybe seeing earth from space (the “blue marble”) doesn’t just make us realize that we are all one family, that borders are totally imaginary (the idealistic view). More to the point, it shows us how dreadfully isolated we are, how responsible for this tiny speck in space, and how morally compromised we are as we continue to live as if we weren't responsible.
Junk Science Policy
Sino Spring: Social Media in China
“One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” (Interruptus). I was curious about this process—besides, it’s a shrink movie! So I skipped out on my “American West” class to check out interruptus. Maybe not a good choice for an impatient person with little movie savvy. I found the (very) frequent interruptions more than a little distracting. And as it turned out, most of the comments weren’t about story content but about technicalities (framing, lighting, etc.) and film-buff curiosities (others who were considered for this part, how the protagonist is paired with signs of nature, etc.). Great for real movie freaks. Not so fun for me. So I considered my interruptus experience complete after Tuesday.
Wednesday
It snowed through
Tuesday night, and by Wednesday morning, we had a record snowfall for this date.
The scene was magnificent. The flatirons were gorgeous, dusted like powdered sugar with snow. It was a bit sloppy and sometimes slick walking on campus, and some older folks came with their walking sticks for safety. But come they did—the sessions were packed all day. Sunshine, blue skies, and fresh snow made for a gorgeous morning.
I went to a few
sessions before heading home at midday to do obligatory life-maintenance
chores.
The Geopolitics of Energy
My Most Disturbing Thought. This remarkable discussion began with witticisms (realization that 80% of my pillow is skin and mites; fear of Muppets), moved to politics (faulty assumptions about geopolitics; inability of people to empathize with others they don’t know), and then dwelt at length on the fear of dying. A woman with recurrent cancer is disturbed by the thought “I’m not ready. It may all end, and soon.” And a man who worked on Robert Kennedy’s campaign and was there when Kennedy died reported that his most disturbing thought is that loss is inevitable and unpredictable. Time, he said, is all we have. Spend it well, be present in your life, because time will pass.
What the Frack! Bottom line: we have moved too far, too fast without knowing what we’re doing. The discussion that should have happened before fracking was allowed to begin is only now starting. The industry has already become entrenched and refuses to be forthcoming in providing the information that we need to assess the risks to water and air quality, and the risk of triggering earthquakes. Unfortunately, fracking is exempt from clean air and clean water laws, a concession to the oil and gas industry many years ago. Gee, I wonder how that happened ...
When I left around noon, the sidewalks were clear (OK, wet and sloppy, but not icy), the snow was settling, and spring was in the air.
The Geopolitics of Energy
My Most Disturbing Thought. This remarkable discussion began with witticisms (realization that 80% of my pillow is skin and mites; fear of Muppets), moved to politics (faulty assumptions about geopolitics; inability of people to empathize with others they don’t know), and then dwelt at length on the fear of dying. A woman with recurrent cancer is disturbed by the thought “I’m not ready. It may all end, and soon.” And a man who worked on Robert Kennedy’s campaign and was there when Kennedy died reported that his most disturbing thought is that loss is inevitable and unpredictable. Time, he said, is all we have. Spend it well, be present in your life, because time will pass.
What the Frack! Bottom line: we have moved too far, too fast without knowing what we’re doing. The discussion that should have happened before fracking was allowed to begin is only now starting. The industry has already become entrenched and refuses to be forthcoming in providing the information that we need to assess the risks to water and air quality, and the risk of triggering earthquakes. Unfortunately, fracking is exempt from clean air and clean water laws, a concession to the oil and gas industry many years ago. Gee, I wonder how that happened ...
When I left around noon, the sidewalks were clear (OK, wet and sloppy, but not icy), the snow was settling, and spring was in the air.
Thursday
By Thursday morning,
the snow that had seemed a nuisance—if a beautiful one—on Wednesday had been
shaped into a playful "receiving line" of snow people, welcoming CWA participants to the
flag walk.
The mountains had
lost most of their snow to the Colorado sun. The fountain was running again,
and Wednesday’s buried tables and chairs would be used by students at lunchtime.
On Thursday, I went to ...
Obama's Foreign Policy: Audacity or Hope. He has no actual policy, because most attention has been devoted to domestic issues. His report card in this domain was decidedly varied.
Nuclear Nightmares. It’s worse than we think, Obama knows it’s important, and we need to goad him to action.
Security and Resilience in a Black Scan World. The “black swan” refers to the unpredictable events that we are not prepared to confront but that can change everything. So titled because we believe that swans are white … until a black swan appears. The possible black swans include things like the transition from fossil fuels to alternative energy sources, the increasing income gap, unseen implications of foreign policy choices (e.g., drone attacks), the possibility of nuclear micro-attacks (dirty bombs) or “rogue nations” with nuclear capability. And, especially, the precise speed and precise consequences of climate change.
Obama's Foreign Policy: Audacity or Hope. He has no actual policy, because most attention has been devoted to domestic issues. His report card in this domain was decidedly varied.
Nuclear Nightmares. It’s worse than we think, Obama knows it’s important, and we need to goad him to action.
Security and Resilience in a Black Scan World. The “black swan” refers to the unpredictable events that we are not prepared to confront but that can change everything. So titled because we believe that swans are white … until a black swan appears. The possible black swans include things like the transition from fossil fuels to alternative energy sources, the increasing income gap, unseen implications of foreign policy choices (e.g., drone attacks), the possibility of nuclear micro-attacks (dirty bombs) or “rogue nations” with nuclear capability. And, especially, the precise speed and precise consequences of climate change.
And then, to escape
from this environmental mayhem, I went to my “American West” class, which I had
missed on Tuesday. We talked about water use and water scarcity. So much for
that escape thing.
Friday
On Friday, I nearly
didn't go to the conference. I was tired, and I felt a bit saturated with it
all. But then I checked the schedule and decided to go to at least a couple of
sessions. As I walked onto the campus, I was welcomed by the total turnaround
that is the hallmark of Colorado's weather: the record snow was virtually gone,
the grass was greened by the moisture, and daffodils greeted me at the entrance to
the campus.
Beside the flag walk,
the line of snow people had gathered in a cluster to bid the conference participants farewell. On
the lawn, CU students played Frisbee and soaked up the springtime sunshine.
I finished a great week with these sessions:
Supreme Court: Tyranny of the Third Branch. Bush v. Gore, Citizens United, and “activist judges," oh my!
Droning On and On. Total agreement across panel members, including an army colonel, that the current use of drones is illegal, immoral, and maybe unconstitutional. They cited issues like national sovereignty, civilian deaths, and the dehumanization of both targets and drone operators. One panelist, who described himself as a supporter of Obama in general, said outright that Obama’s actions in this regard are impeachable. No one—on the panel or in the audience—took exception to his assertion.
Molly Ivins Freedom Fightin' Memorial Plenary: This talk is named after Molly Ivins, a brilliant, witty, irreverent, and incisive journalist from Texas, who, prior to her death, was a long-time, frequent participant in CWA. This year, the Molly Ivins plenary, “Truth in Journalism in the Digital Age,” was given by David Corn, the Washington Bureau Chief for Mother Jones. He's the guy who broke the 47% story that may have derailed Romney’s hopes for the presidency. Great set-up, mediocre talk about the impact of digital media on what we take as “the news.”
Supreme Court: Tyranny of the Third Branch. Bush v. Gore, Citizens United, and “activist judges," oh my!
Droning On and On. Total agreement across panel members, including an army colonel, that the current use of drones is illegal, immoral, and maybe unconstitutional. They cited issues like national sovereignty, civilian deaths, and the dehumanization of both targets and drone operators. One panelist, who described himself as a supporter of Obama in general, said outright that Obama’s actions in this regard are impeachable. No one—on the panel or in the audience—took exception to his assertion.
Molly Ivins Freedom Fightin' Memorial Plenary: This talk is named after Molly Ivins, a brilliant, witty, irreverent, and incisive journalist from Texas, who, prior to her death, was a long-time, frequent participant in CWA. This year, the Molly Ivins plenary, “Truth in Journalism in the Digital Age,” was given by David Corn, the Washington Bureau Chief for Mother Jones. He's the guy who broke the 47% story that may have derailed Romney’s hopes for the presidency. Great set-up, mediocre talk about the impact of digital media on what we take as “the news.”
As I left the plenary, I snapped one more photo of the flag walkway. The weather had done a 180 since Wednesday, back to the sunny skies and green grass of Monday. Hard to believe we had over a foot of snow just two days before.
Heading off campus, I spotted a new sidewalk sign near where Monday's notice announced the impending arrival of CWA. Time keeps on moving. CWA is so over ... International Fest is coming!
I missed hearing about so many
interesting topics. Heck, I only went to 19 out of 200 talks! But I can’t imagine sitting through many more sessions. My brain is on overload as it is.
Maybe I should
lobby for shorter days, spread over two weeks. Think of the weather tales I could tell then!
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